¹¹ The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven.^{(A) 12} He sighed deeply^(B) and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” ¹³ Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod

¹⁴ The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. ¹⁵ “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast^(C) of the Pharisees^(D) and that of Herod.”^(E)

¹⁶ They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”

¹⁷ Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?^{(F) 18} Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? ¹⁹ When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,”^(G) they replied.

²⁰ “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

They answered, “Seven.”^(H)

²¹ He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”^(I)

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

²² They came to Bethsaida,^(J) and some people brought a blind man^(K) and begged Jesus to touch him. ²³ He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit^(L) on the man’s eyes and put his hands on^(M) him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

²⁴ He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

²⁵ Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. ²⁶ Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into^[a] the village.”

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah^(N)

²⁷ Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

²⁸ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;^(O) others say Elijah;^(P) and still others, one of the prophets.”

²⁹ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”^(Q)

³⁰ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.^(R)

Jesus Predicts His Death^(S)

³¹ He then began to teach them that the Son of Man^(T) must suffer many things^(U) and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,^(V) and that he must be killed^(W) and after three days^(X) rise again.^{(Y) 32} He spoke plainly^(Z) about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

³³ But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!”^(AA) he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

The Way of the Cross

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^{(AB) 35} For whoever wants to save their life^[b] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.^{(AC) 36} What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? ³⁷ Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man^(AD) will be ashamed of them^(AE) when he comes^(AF) in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

BOOK II

Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42^[a][b]

For the director of music. A maskil^[c] of the Sons of Korah.